Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

Annag Morin
CBS - Department of Economics

August 2013

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

The IS-LM Model

In topic 2 The Goods Market, we isolated the goods market from

the financial one by assuming that investment was not a function
of the interest rate.
In topic 3 The Financial Market, we studied the interest rate and
how it is determined on the financial market.
Now, lets go back to the goods market and see what changes with
the new assumption that investment is a function of the interest
rate. Lets study the goods and the financial market together.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

The IS-LM Model

Road map:
The goods market: the IS curve
The financial market: LM curve
Equilibrium: IS-LM
Fiscal and monetary policies

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1. The goods market

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1. The goods market

1. The goods market

1.1. What we remember from Topic 2
1.2. Investment
1.3. Determining output
1.4. The IS relation
1.5. Shifts of the IS curve

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.1. The goods market - What we remember

Remember topic 2 The Goods Market:

Demand for goods: C (YD ) + I + G
where YD = Y T is the disposable income

Supply of goods: Y
Equilibrium: Y = C (Yd) + I + G

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.2. The goods market - Investment

Investment is not constant. It depends primarily on two factors:

Production (+)
Interest rate (-):
the higher the interest rate, the more expensive it is to borrow
in order to invest, the lower the level of investment.
Investment function: I = I (Y , i)
| {z }
(+,)

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.3. The goods market - Determining output

The demand for goods is: C (Y , T ) +I (Y , i) +G

| {z }
| {z }
(+,)

(+,)

, the demand for goods is increasing in Y (income/production).

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.3. The goods market - Determining output

Figure: Equilibrium in the goods market

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.4. The goods market - IS relation

Equilibrium: Y = C (Y , T ) +I (Y , i) +G
| {z }
| {z }
(+,)

(+,)

This equilibrium condition is called the IS relation.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.4. The goods market - IS relation

Figure: Effect on the equilibrium level of production of an increase in the

interest rate
Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.4. The goods market - IS relation

If the interest rate increases, investment drops which pushes down

the demand for goods. The equilibrium level of output is lower.
, Decreasing relation between the interest rate and equilibrium
output.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

Figure: Construction of the IS curve

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.4. The goods market - IS relation

The downward-sloping IS curve represents the negative relation

between the interest rate and the equilibrium output.
All the points on this curve represents an equilibrium on the goods
market.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.5. The goods market - Shifts of the IS curve

What happens if taxes increase?

Disposable income drops, consumption drops, demand drops
Supply must drop too to maintain the equilibrium.
For any level of interest rate, the corresponding level of
equilibrium output is now lower
, leftward shift of the IS curve.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.5. The goods market - Shifts of the IS curve

Figure: Effect on the IS curve of an increase in taxes

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

1.5. The goods market - Shifts of the IS curve

Any change (decrease in government consumption, increase in

taxes, decrease in consumer confidence - proxied by c0 ) that, for a
given interest rate, decreases the demand for goods creates a shift
of the IS curve to the left.
Symmetrically, any change (increase in government consumption,
decrease in taxes, increase in consumer confidence - proxied by c0 )
that, for a given interest rate, increases the demand for goods
creates a shift of the IS curve to the right.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2. The financial market

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2. The financial market

2. The financial market

2.1. The LM relation
2.2. Shifts of the LM curve

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2.1. The financial market - LM relation

Remember topic 3 The Financial Market:

Equilibrium: M S = M D = M = $YL(i)

Now lets talk in real terms (because we want an analysis in terms of

goods)

, We divide by the price level (GDP deflator, denoted by P):

Equilibrium:

M
P

= YL(i)

This equilibrium condition is called the LM relation.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2.1. The financial market - LM relation

Figure: Effect on the interest rate of an increase in income

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2.1. The financial market - LM relation

If income increases, the demand for money increases at any given

interest rate. Given that the supply of money is fixed, the interest
rate must increase to lower the demand for money and maintain
the equilibrium.
, Increasing relation between the interest rate and output.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2.1. The financial market - LM relation

Figure: Construction of the LM curve

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2.1. The financial market - LM relation

The upward-sloping LM curve represents the positive relation

between the interest rate and output.
All the points on this curve represents an equilibrium on the
financial market.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2.2. The financial market - Shifts of the LM curve

What happens if the nominal money supply increases?

Real money supply goes up
Demand for money should go up too, to maintain equilibrium:
the interest rate must decrease
For any level of output, the corresponding level of interest
rate is now lower
, downward shift of the LM curve.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2.2. The financial market - Shifts of the LM curve

Figure: Effect on the LM curve of an increase in money supply

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

2.2. The financial market - Shifts of the LM curve

An increase in the money supply causes the LM curve to shift

down.
Symmetrically, a decrease in the money supply causes the LM
curve to shift up.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3. The IS-LM model

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3. The IS-LM model

3. The IS-LM model

3.1. An equilibrium concept
3.2. Fiscal policy
3.3. Monetary policy
3.4. Fiscal and monetary policies
3.5. Policy mix

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.1. The IS-LM model - An equilibrium concept

IS relation:
the supply of goods must be equal to the demand for goods

LM relation:
the supply of money must be equal to the demand for money

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.1. The IS-LM model - An equilibrium concept

Figure: The IS-LM model

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.2. The IS-LM model - Fiscal policy

Fiscal policy:
Fiscal contraction (or fiscal consolidation): decrease in the
budget deficit G T
decrease in government spending
increase in taxes

Fiscal expansion: increase in the budget deficit G T

increase in government spending
decrease in taxes

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.2. The IS-LM model - Fiscal policy

What happens when taxes increase?

Leftward shift of the IS curve. Why?
No shift of the LM curve. Why?
The increase in taxes shifts the IS curve. The LM curve does not
shift, the economy moves along the LM curve.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.2. The IS-LM model - Fiscal policy

When taxes increase:

Consumption goes down, leading to a decrease in
output/income.
The decrease in income reduces the demand for money. Given
that the supply of money is fixed, the interest rate must
decrease to push up the demand for money and maintain the
equilibrium.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.2. The IS-LM model - Fiscal policy

NB: the decrease in output is limited by the positive effect of a

decrease in the interest rate on investment (even though we dont
know if investment increases or decreases).

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.2. The IS-LM model - Fiscal policy

Figure: The effects of an increase in taxes

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.3.The IS-LM model - Monetary policy

Monetary policy:
Monetary contraction (or monetary tightening): decrease
in the money supply
Monetary expansion: increase in the money supply

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.3. The IS-LM model - Monetary policy

What happens when the money supply increases?

No shift of the IS curve. Why?
Downward shift of the LM curve. Why?
The increase in taxes shifts the LM curve. The IS curve does not
shift, the economy moves along the IS curve.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.3. The IS-LM model - Monetary policy

When money supply increases:

To maintain the equilibrium, the demand for money should go
up. For that to happen, the interest rate must decrease.
The decrease in the interest rate favor investment, demand for
goods and equilibrium output.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.3. The IS-LM model - Monetary policy

NB: the decrease in the interest rate is limited by the positive

effect of an increase in output on investment, and therefore on
output.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.3. The IS-LM model - Monetary policy

Figure: The effects of an increase in money supply

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.4. The IS-LM model - Fiscal and monetary policies

Figure: The effects of fiscal and monetary policy

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.5. The IS-LM model - Policy Mix

The combination of monetary and fiscal policies is called the

policy mix.
Bigger impact on output
Allows a change in the output level without a too large
change in the interest rate.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

3.5. The IS-LM model - Policy Mix

Figure: The policy mix against the recession of 2001

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model

Conclusion

We studied the goods and financial markets separately and

together. But until now, we made a big assumption: we ignored
the possible interactions between an economy and the rest of the
world, on the goods and the financial markets.
Now, lets relax this assumption and analyze an open economy.

Introduction to Macroeconomics

TOPIC 4: The IS-LM Model